I’ve been thinking and writing a lot recently about the lack of value in a college education. For years I have been degrading higher education as nothing more than a useless waste of time so I think I should offer an alternative. People think that a college degree is a safeguard against failure or economic downturn. I submit that a college degree is a guarantee of getting laid off and succumbing to the forces of the economy.

The only true safeguard against the dreaded layoff is an expertise in sales. Not to say that if you can sell, you will NEVER get laid off. It’s just that if you do happen to get laid off, you’ll be able to grab another sales job in a matter of minutes! I think that having the ability to sell products and services is invaluable. This is why I’ve decided to host “The Young Capitalist Saturday Sales School.” Tune in every Saturday for the latest sales techniques, tricks, and tips to aide you in your sales career.

I wanted to take this opportunity to give my first lesson on sales. The problem I have found in most sales people crosses the from your business life to your “real life,” and that is discipline. A mentor of mine once said, “all unhappiness is reflection of a personal lack of self-discipline.”

As I got thinking about it, it couldn’t be MORE true. All my sources of pain or frustration stem from a lack of discipline in a certain area (i.e. financial choices, health choice, relationship choices, etc.)

You’ll hear a lot from me about sales. Everything from asking the right questions to creating a useful and usable business card, but none of it will make any difference if you don’t have discipline. I am lucky enough to have grown up with a father and mother who built discipline into me at an early stage, but there are many young business owners out there who were not so lucky. I’ve come up with 3 ways to develop discipline with as little pain as possible. But trust me, it won’t be easy!

1. Reading - NOOO!! Don’t make me read! Right? Well there’s not a better way to develop discipline, especially if you’re “not a reader.” Take 15 minute, 5 days a week, and commit yourself to reading a book that will better you. It could be a sales book, a personal development book, a religious book, or anything else that will allow you to grow. All I’m saying is that you can’t just read your RSS reader everyday and say you’ve done something. This is a relatively pain-free way to develop some discipline.

2. Push-ups - Again, this is not something that will take a lot of time or cause a lot of pain. It IS something small you can use to train yourself in the ways of discipline. Even if you can only do a few, you’ll be amazed at how your body changes and you’ll be doing 3 sets of 20 push-ups in no time. And, you’ll have a manly chest.

3. The Change Jar - All you have to do is save your change. I have a 3 gallon water jug that my wife and I use. Every time I use cash, I ask for a dollar in quarters when I get my change. Again, this is not a big deal, and its pretty pain free. The challenge comes when you need that money! Well, set yourself a date and commit that you will not use your change until then. It adds up pretty quick!

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